Cable needle for knitting



Dec 12, 1944 s. E. PALLlsER 2,364,649

CABLE NEEDLE FOR KNITTING Filed June 11, 1942 E l i y Patented Dc. 12, 1944 CABLE NEEDLE, Fon KNITTING Sylvia E. Palliser, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 11, 1942, Serial No.. 446,556

7 claims. (c1. ca -117') This invention relates to knitting, and particularly to knitting the fancy stitch known as cable stitch.` In the cable stitch two or three files or columns oi stitches cross over or under the adjacent two or three columns or lesof stitches at regular intervals, producing an elect which resembles the twist of a rope or cable. Hence the name ofthe stitch.

In making a cable stitch, it is necessary to remove twoV or three stitches from the left needle and hold them while the next two or three next stitches are being knitted from the left needle tothe `right needle and then to knit onto the right needle the stitches which were previously removed `from the left needle. Up until the present time, `these stitches have been removed and generally placed on an ordinary double pointed needle such as is employedin' knitting circulaigarments or stockings, but this practice has the the stitch holder onto the left needle and .knit

them onto the right; needle. When proceeding in this way, there is less danger of Ydropping stitches, bili; the additional operation of transferring the stitches back from the stitch holder to the needle is involved and has to be repeated many times while knitting a garment.

The principal object of this invention is to proe vide an improved knitting needle of special design for holding the stitches which cross over or under to form the cable while the other stitches .are being knitted from the left needle to the right needle, the improved needle being designed `so that it will not fall outy of the 4stitches which are being held upon it. VI have named this improved needle a "cable needle.

Other objects and advantages `of the invention will appear from the followingdescription and accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows one of the preferred forms of the invention:

Fig. 2 shows another form of the invention; and

Figs. 3 to 8 show successive steps in the use of the invention.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 comprises a needle 9 having a straight substantially cylindrical portion I I and tapered or pointed ends I2 and I3. is formed with knurling I4, which is made deep enough so thatv stitches will not slide freely along the-needle but, nevertheless, can `be pushed along `the needle with the lingers. The needle 9 should be quite short compared to ordinary knitting needles, and I have found that a length of between three and four inches is most satisfactory.4 The diameter of the cable needle should be about the same as the diameter of the other needles with` which the knitting is being done, but it may be greater or smaller.` Because no stitches are formed onto the cable needle 9, its diameter does not determine the size of the stitch and it, therefore, need not be the same as that of the other needles.v It may, in fact, be better to have the diameter of the cable needle 9 slightly larger than thediameter ofthe other needles as this will cause the stitches held on the cable needle 9 to lgrip it a little more tightly and lessen the danger of the cable needle slipping out of the stitches.

The cable needle 9 may be made of any mate rial which has been found suitable for knitting needles, such as steel, aluminum or other metals,

plastics, or wood, but the harder materials are preferable because there is less likelihood of the knurling I4 wearing smooth with said materials.

.provided with small notches or teeth ISD to prevent the needle fro-m sliding freely through the stitches being held on it.

The manner in which the cable needle is used is illustrated in Figs. 3 to 8, which show the successive steps in forming a cable in a portion of apiece of `knitted fabric. In these figures, the fabric has been shown as stretched or pulled out, so that the different stitches can be more easily distinguished and so that the parts of the stitches at` the back of the fabric can also be seen. The piece lof fabric shown in these iigures consists of eight columns or illes of stitches numbered I to 8. The stitches near the top 'of column I, for example, are numbered 2|, 3I, 4I, and 5I in succession up the column, 5I being the last or top stitch in the column andthe one which is on the right needle 2|). The stitches in the rank or row starting with stitch number 4I are numbered 4I, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 41, and 48 in succession across the The central portion II of the needle The central Fig. 4. The next two stitches 45 and 46 on thel left needle I9 are then knitted onto the right needle 20, forming two new stitches 55 and 56, as shown in Fig. 5. The right end of the cable needle 9 is then .twisted around in back of the right needle 20 and the stitches 55 and 56 which have just been made, as shown in Fig. 6, and the two stitches 43 and 44 on the cable needle 9 are knitted onto the right needle 20. The two new stitches 53 and 54 thus formed are now on the right needle 20 to the left of the stitches 55 and 56, as shown in Fig. 7, and the cross-over or cable has been formed. Knitting then proceeds in the regular way, stitches 4'! and 48 being purled and knitted from the left needle I9 onto the right needle 20, as shown in Fig. 8. l

After the cross-over or cable has been made as described above, the knitting of the garment pro'- ceeds in the regular fashion for a predetermined number of rows of stitches, this number generally being an even number such as 6, 8, or 10, and the process of forming a cable as described above is repeated. This causes a group of files or columns of stitches to cross over the adjacent group at regular intervals and produces the cable effectI which is desired.

In the example described above, each half of the cable is two stitches wide, but the process may obviously be carried out with a different number of stitches, such as three or four in each half of the cable. Also, the cable made as described is a left-handed cable in which the columns of stitches cross over from the right to the left, but a righthanded. cable, in which the columns of stitches cross over from the left to the right, may be made. This is done by placing the cable needle 9 and the stitches 42 and 44 upon it behind the other needles I9 and 20 and the rest of the work, instead of in front of them as shown in Fig. 4, when the stitches 55 and 56 are about to be knitted. Also, the cable needle 9 may be employed in making more elaborate forms of cable stitches than the one which has been illustrated above, such as, for example, a stitch in which the columns of stitches are divided into three groups instead of only two so as to give the effect of a cable or rope having three strands instead of a cable or rope having only two strands.

While I have shown only two best forms of my invention, it will be understood that modifications may be made, such as threading lthe central portion of the needle instead of knurling it, or by providing it with circumferential ridges, and that the knurling, threads or ridges need not extend the full length of the central portion of the needle but may, indeed, consist of only a single circumferential thread, groove, or ridge. My invention, therefore, includes not only the preferred forms which I have shown but any form coming within the' terms of any of the following claims.

I claim as my invention: i y

1. A short knitting needle rigid throughout its length and comprising a rigid central portion of a constant cross-sectional area throughout its length, smooth tapered end portions, and having its entire central portion roughened to such an extent as to restrain the sliding of stitches along the needle.

2. A knitting needle materially shorter than the conventional knitting needle and rigid throughout its length and having tapered end portions whose surfaces are surfaces of revolution, and having a central portion of non-circular crosssection the surface of which has been roughened to such an extent as to prevent the needle from accidentally sliding from the stitches while in l use as a temporary stitch retainer in association with one or more longer knitting needles.

3. A short knitting needle rigid throughout its length and having tapered end portions whose surfaces are surfaces of revolution and having a central portion whose surface diverges circumferentially from a surface of revolution at a plurality of places, said diverging surfaces being roughened to such an extent as to restrain the needle from accidentally sliding from the stitches while in use as a temporary stitch retainer in association with one or more longer knitting needles.

4. A knitting needle materially shorter than,

the conventional knitting needle and rigid throughout its length and having round tapered ends and a generally cylindrical central part, said central part being knurled throughout its circumference for restraining the needle from accidentally becoming disengaged from the stitches during the knitting operation.

5. A knitting needle shorter than the conventional knitting needle and rigid throughout its length and having round tapered ends, and a centralv part of polygonal cross-section with notched corners for restraining the needle from accidentally becoming disengaged from the stitches during the knittingoperation as a temporary stitch retainer in association with one or more longer knitting needles.

6. A stiff knitting needle less than five inches long to serve as a temporary stitch retainer for use With one or more longer conventional needles, rigid throughout its length, and comprising smooth tapered end portions and a central portion having at least a portion of its circumferential surface roughened to such an extent as to prevent the sliding of stitches therefrom during the intervals said needle is idle while being used in knitting fancy stitch fabrics by the use of conventional knitting needles.

7. A short knitting needle rigid throughout its length and comprising a central portion of uniform cross-sectional area throughout its length, smooth tapered end portions, said central portion being knurled-y the knurls being so constructed as to restrain the needle from normally sliding from the stitches while in use.

SYLVIA E. PALLISER. 

